Half-fare card advance purchase?, reservation at Piz Gloria?, Paragliding from Murren?

Q1. You can buy the Half Fare Card at Zurich airport train station. And assume that the conductors will be extremely diligent re your son's age. You will have to show your passport along with the Half Fare Card and the ticket when the conductor comes by. It is not a movie theater. Things can get very expensive and unpleasant for people riding without a valid ticket, which would be the case if a 16 yo is riding with a child's ticket.

Q2. Just reserve when you know the weather.

Q3. I know not, but there are plenty of opportunities.

1) When your ticket is checked on the train, you need to show both your ticket and the Half Fare Card (and if they are pedantic, your passport as ID). This implies you must have bought both the card and your ticket BEFORE getting on the train. You can buy them in any order, or both at the same time at Zürich airport.
Yes, they are strict about the 16 age limit (which is one of the reasons they check your ID).

2) As above. Yes it's worthwhile going up Schilthorn (don't know about the brunch). Decide which day depending on weather.

3) No I haven't done it, but seen plenty. Ask at the tourist office.

We bought our half-fare cards at Lauterbrunnen train station, then immediately bought the Jungfrau train tickets last September. No need to purchase in advance. You need to show your passport when you buy the 1/2 fare card.

Same here. Bought the half-fare card at Lausanne station (after TGV from Paris) then bought our Lausanne to Mürren train tickets. Bought the Schilthorn lift tickets day-of, after checking the closed-circuit TV screens at the Mürren station, but did not do brunch at the top.

I did a tandem paragliding jump from Murren in 2008 using Paragliding Jungfrau. The pilot used a selfie-stick - before they were a thing - to get impossible shots of me looking terrified with the entire valley floor below us. They have numerous jump points in the region, including one from the Schilthorn. The AirTime cafe in Lauterbrunnen can also put you in touch with other adventure providers including white water rafting, climbs, horse riding, etc. They also have excellent breakfast.

You "can" buy the Half Fare Card in advance (on this website and others), but it is not required. You can also buy it from the agent at the Zurich Airport train station. Either way, make sure to request the free Family Card for your son, assuming he has not reached his 16th Birthday. The agent will need to see his passport with proof of age, and you will enter his name and passport number on the card.

I was staying in Murren last June and went paragliding. I am in my early 60s and I have close to three thousand flying hours in remote areas of Alaska and have seen/done many things in the air. All I can say is WOW! It was the best flying experience that I have ever had. If I lived in that region I would definitely have my own set-up. The paraglider “chute” is actually shaped like a wing, made out of fabric, and operates much like a small plane wing does. It acts as a glider and, in the absence of wind/downdrafts/updrafts functions as a parachute.

Depending on the time of year you visit I would try to book a day in advance. I booked in the morning and got the last opening for that day. Most of the hotels can set you up as the paragliding companies pay them for customer bookings. You can select a regular flight, an extended flight, and for an extra fee they will provide you with a stick drive of still photos and videos of your flight. My extended flight and photo/video package was 100-120 Swiss Francs as I recall. I would look for late afternoon as a good time to fly as weather conditions tend to be calm in the morning, becoming increasingly more turbulent (which is what you want) later in the day as the air and surrounding area begins to heat up.

By the way, it is not obvious but just like when parachuting, there is an emergency parachute available should the main canopy fail for some reason.

Air Time Paraglide: http://airtime-paragliding.ch. Havent done it, but plan on it during my visit this coming May.

Ohter activities your 16 yo. may like: http://www.klettersteig-muerren.ch/index.php/en/

Great responses. Thank you so much!

We will plan on purchasing the half fare card at Zurich airport. Will budget getting one for our teenager too.

I’ll look into the Schilthorn (and buffet) when we get the forecast upon arrival.

Thanks for the tip on the AirTime café breakfasts! The house we are staying at is near there so we will check it out.

I need to look into the paragliding companies. The one I was considering is called Airtime Paragliding and takes off in Murren. It is expensive but looks very professional. Still waiting to see if the husband will get up the nerve to do it with our daughter before we book! Thanks, Davey, for the great information about what time to book. I assumed they would do it in the morning for the clear weather but now I think late afternoon might be better. I also appreciate the note about the emergency fail-safe, that eases my mind. Your description may have even convinced my husband to do it!

Thanks brushtim for the other link too with the amazing images. Looking into those too. There’s so many possibilities!